Liquid-gage lock.



0; c. RfiTZ-WOLILBR.

. LIQUID GAGE LOCK- APPLICATION mum MAR. 5, 1913. 1,088,727. Patented M21123, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Own-R C RrTZ-UOLLER un/Mums 0. QRITZ-WOLLER.

LIQUID GAGE LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5. 1913.

Am 2 9T m 00 IE s r ME B dB es m w a D1 IiFL. I

ag/Zia Qvweutoz O UVER C- RwzwoLLE /Vi/Mwoow 620M a. J \7 v against operation after the car I OLIVER c. nITz-woLLns, or aaonsonvrnm, FLORIDA.

LIQUID-GAGE LOOK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Peltented Mar.3,1914=.

Application filed March 5, 1913. Serial No. 752,152.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, Omvnn C. Br e- W01.- Lnn, citizen of the United States, residing at Jacksonville, in the county of 'Duval and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Liquid-Gage Locks, of which the following is a specifica tion, reference being had to the accompany inn drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in liquid gage locks and has for its primary object to provide improved means for locking an indicating gage used in connection with gasolene storage tanks such as'are carried by. automobiles and other motor vehicles.

Another-object of the invention is to prm vide simple and effective means for positively locking the indicatin mechanism has been used whereby, when saidmechanism is released, it will immediately indicate the fact that gasolenc has been consumed and the car used without permission of the owner.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of a device for the above purpose which is simple in construction, may be inexpensively produced, and is highly reliable and efficient in operation.

With the above and other objects in view as will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, combinations and arrangements of the pzirts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front or face view of a gage partly in section to which my improved locking device is applied; Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1, which also shows a reduced sectional view of a liquid containing tank. Fig. is a detail section illustrating a slightly modificd form of the invention; and Fig. 5 is a detail section showing a still further modification.

Referringin detail to thedrawings, 5 designatesthe casing containing the indicating mechanism which is'mounted in any suigablg part of the vehicle body indicated at ne. side of this casing is permanently closed by the back plate 6. The face plate indicated at 7 ishingedly mounted upon-the annular wall of the casing 5 as indicated at 8. This face plate carries the glass disk 9. The indicating mechanism arranged within the casing 5 includes .an. internal gear 0 "wheel 10 fixed upon the indicator shaft 11 journalcd in a suitab e bearing provided upon the back plate (3 and extending centrally through the di .1 plate 12, which late is secured at its edges to an internal 5 oulder 13 provided upon the annular wall of the casing 5. A stub shaft 14: is rotatably mounted in the back plate 6 of the casing and carries a pinion indicated at 15 for engagement with the teeth of the internal near 10. I

16 indicates the pointerwhich is fixed 'upon the shaft/ 11 and hasits outer end disposed in pixtaposition to the annular graduated scale 17 provided upon the face of the dial plate 12.

The cage tank casing, which may, be of any desired construction is indicated hnf thenumoral 18 and a shaft is mounted in the up LEE-, end of said casing upon which a spree ttta wheel 1.9 is fixed. The sprocket chain or other flexible element a 20 'extends:--around this sprocket wheel and to one end of the same the float 21 is attached, a counterbalancine' weight 22 being secured to the op- 8t )osite end of said flexible element. A flexile shaft 23 connects the shaft of the sprocket wheel 19 with the stub shaft 14 whereby rotation is transmitted to the gear wheel 10 of the indicating mechanism as the float 21 descends, in the consumption of the gasolene. I

The hinged front or face plate 7 of the indicator casing 5 carries a lock casing 24 in which the sliding locking bolt 25 is mounted, said bolt being movable throu h bne, wall of the casing 5 and adapted or engagement in a recess indicated at 26' in the top of the annular wall of the casing 5. This bolt is actuated by means of asuitable key 27. Upon the outer end of theshaft 11 of the indicator mechanism, a rubber abutment block 28 is loosely mounted, said block being arran ed upon a stem or stud bolt 29,

projecting ongitudinally from the end f 106 said shaft? The innerend 0% this block engages the pointer 16 while the outer end thereof is engaged by the glass vrdislt9'in the face plate 7 when said plate: is 'rnoved t o.its closed position, asv clearly shoi'vn in Fig. 2. 110 A glass plateBO is permanentlvmounted in I the annular wall of the indicatorinnah}, a,

1 tion ofthe invention,

gagement with the toothed described, when the face plate 7 is in itsopen position, the indicating mechanism is operated through themedium of the flexible shaft: 29 so that the pointer 16 will indicate the depth of gaso'lene contained in the storage tank to which the gage tube 18 is connected in the usual manner. In order to disclose the fact that the automobile or other vehicle has been used without the owners permission, the face plate 7 is swung upwardly to its closed position so that the disk 9 carried thereby will engage the rubber abutment block 28.21nd force the same inwardly into close frictional engagement with the pointer 16 which is secured upon the indicator shaft 11. The face plate 7 is .locked in. its closed position by means of the key 27. By thus locking the indicating mechanism. against operation, if the car is used, the float 21fw1llnot descend as the gasolene is consumed' but will remain-star tionary. It is thus apparent that when the face plate is again moved to its open position to release the indicating mechanism, the descent of the float into contact with the surface of the liquid will operate said mechanism to move the indicating ointer 16, thus showing the amount of gaso ene which has been consumed and the approximate dis tance traveled by. the machine.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings, I have illustrated'a slightly modified arrangement of the parts, wherein the rubber abutment block 28 is fixed to the glass disk 9 which is carried by the movable face plate of the indicator casing. An opening is provided in the stationaryglass'plate 3 arranged within the indicator casing through which this rubber block is adapted to move intooontact with the indicator pointer. The op eration of this form of the invention is precisely the same as that above described. In Fig. 5 of the drawings, I have illus trated still another modified form of the device, wherein the movable front plate for the casing and the rubber block carried thereb is dispensed with and the lock casmg 24 is mounted upon-the annular wall of the indicator casing.

The movable locking bolt 25 is adapted for movement through coinciding openings in the wall of the lock casing and the indicator casing and into enperipher 31 of one of the gear elements of the in icating mechanism, thereby securely locking the same a ainst operation; It will be understood t at in connection with this applica- I may employ a rubber brake shoe carried by the lower end of the locking bolt 25 to fri'ctionally engage the'periphery of the gear, instead of providing said gear with teeth.

the asing,

From the foregoing, it is believed that the construction and manner of operation of the several forms of the invention above disclosed will be clearly and fully understood.

The device is extremely simple in its construction, and may be provided upon gages of this character now in general use without necessitating radical alterations in the con-- modification in the form, proportion and ar rangements of the several parts thereof without departing from the essential features or sacrificing any of the advantages of the same.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1-. The combination with a gage including a float, a casing, and indicating mechanism automatically actuated in the movement of said float, of locking means mounted upon the casing of the indicator movable into engagement with one of the elements of the indicating mechanism to lock the same and the float againstmovement.

2. The combination with a gage including a float, a casing, and indicating mechanism" automatically actuated in the movement of the float, of a face plate movably mounted upon the casing of the indicator, means adapted to be the indicating mechanism against operation, and means for locking said plate against movement.

3. The combination with a gage, including a float, indicating mechanism actuated in the movement of said float, said mechanism including a pointer, of a compresslble element adapted to frictionally'engage said pointer and lock the mechanism against opengaged by said plate to lock,

oration, means cooperating with said element to move the same to effective position, and additional means to lock said last named means'against movement.

4. The combination with a gage including a movable float, indicating mechanism and actuating means therefor operated by the movement of the float, of a casing for said indicating mechanism, said mechanism ineluding a pointer, a hinged face plate for means adapted to be engaged by said face plate when the-same is moved to its closed position ment with the pointer to lockthe indicat ing mechanism against operation, and means for locking closed position upon the indicator casing! 'The combination with a gage including a float, indicating mechanism and actuating means therefor actuated by the float, said insaid face plate in its the indicating mechanism against operation,

the face plate in its e casing. combination with a gage including and means for loc closed lposition upon t a float, indicating mechanism and actuating means therefor operated by the movement of the float, of a casln for said mechanism, said mechanism inclu ing a pointer, a compressible friction block mounted in said casing, a face plate hingedly mounted upon the casing wall, a glass disk carriedby said plate adapted to engage said compressible element and force the same into frictional en agement with thepointer and lock the in icating mechanism a ainst operation, and means for locking said ace plate to the body of the indicator casing.

7. The combination with a liquid gage including indicating mechanism, 0 means givotally mounted upon the casing of the inicator and movable into engagement with one of the elements of the indicating mechanism to lock the same against operation, and a locking device carried by said pivoted means to lock the same to the indicator casing.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the reseuce of two witnesses.

OLIV R C; RITZ-WOLLER.

Witneaes:

M. C. LYDDANE, CHAS. M. Bmcmman. 

